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Tonight was bath night. Our bathroom is VERY cold because we're working on the bathroom downstairs (in the basement) and there's exposed outer wall which drops the temperature down to FREEZING in both bathrooms (the ceiling is also exposed a bit right under the tub). So, normally I let a heater run in the bathroom for a few minutes to warm it up for Alex. Tonight I also turned on the hot water to warm up the bottom of the tub because of how cold it was in the room. I didn't turn the tap all the way but it was farther on hot that I normally would put it on for Alex.

I left Alex with DH while I ran downstairs for a minute (giving the room a few to warm up) intending to come back up and put him in the tub. DH decided that he would just put Alex in the tub. Well, Daddy didn't test the water first and Mommy sure didn't warn Daddy about the hot water.

I hear a loud SCREAM from upstairs and bolt to the bathroom. There DH has Alex in his arms and his little feet were all red. I quickly snapped him up and put his feet in cold water and told DH to call the Children's Urgent Care.

After several minutes of talking to the nurse (cold water 10 minutes, no topicals, ibprofen, etc) we removed his feet from the water. They were a dark/brightish (?) pink. Not lobster red but definitely sore looking. DH said the nurse was very upset with him on the phone because this was a stupid thing to have happened.

I haven't cried like I thought I would given a situation like this. Honestly, I'm just very shocked that it happened. I take child safety classes, first aid, CPR, etc. I *KNOW* better than to let something like this happen!

I told DH that we might get a follow-up visit or call and that our pediatrician might call tomorrow wanting to see him (the urgent care we go to works with our pediatrician's office so they have the same records). I told him that this is a red flag injury. All I could think of was the image they show you in the child abuse classes of a toddler's lobster red feet. The parents of the child were mad at him so they immersed his feet in boiling hot water and held him there. Alex's feet weren't nearly as red but the pattern looked exactly the same (even line across both feet/legs).

After his feet were done soaking we thoroughly dried them and let him walk/run as he wanted to. He seemed perfectly fine but would sometimes stop and poke at his feet. After a few minutes he tried to climb into the tub because he wanted a bath! Within an hour his feet turned a normal color and I see no signs of blistering. I know the nurse said no topicals but if his feet are very dry tomorrow I'm going to put aquaphor on them to keep them from cracking.

I've touched and rubbed his feet all over just before bed and he doesn't indicate in any way that they hurt him. I think we just got VERY lucky. The water either wasn't hot enough to actually do any damage or DH pulled him out fast enough, either way VERY LUCKY. Tomorrow Alex and I will be going to the store to get those tub stickers that turn color to show that the water temp. is safe.

I feel like a complete idiot.

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'Scuse the bad typing, please. 'Breast is Best' but not when browsing the internet!

Awww hugs hun! We have a rubber duckie that goes in the tub that on the bottom has a heat indicator and its worked great. I need to replace it after two years as the indicator is getting wore out but its a cheap option thats also a toy. Glad hes ok tho.

It can happen to the best of us hun, and he's ok, that's the important thing. And healthcare professionals are trained to look for signs of abuse - you are obviously torn up about this, and it was clearly an accident. Anyone should be able to see that.

When DD was about 3, I had just taken a pot of pasta off the stove and turned to dump it in the sink. While I had my back turned, DD toddled over to the stove and put her hand flat on the burner I had just turned off. It was bad enough to blister and was sore for a week. The urgent care never jumped to conclusions about it being abuse, and believe me I felt like the worst mother in the world. But it was an accident. Accidents happen.

Burns are some of the most painful injuries you can sustain, and the pain lingers for a LONG time. If he was OK after just a a little while, then it can't have been that bad. Little ones are definitely more sensitive to hot temps, but it was probably more of a shock than anything else.

You did the right thing, and I'm sure now that it's happened once you'll be vigilant in ensuring that it doesn't happen again. He's ok, you're ok. No worries.

Everyone makes mistakes. Try not to worry about it. I know that's easier said than done. I know the feeling tho. DD was in my lap leaning back on me when she was about a month old. I looked behind me for a second bc I heard something and in that second, she leaned forward and smacked her face right into the giant picture frame we were looking at and talking about (one of those multi-pic frames with lots of pics in them). She had a big red mark on her face and screamed bloody murder for a LONG time. I called my mom (a nurse) who told me she would be fine. Mom was right. But I felt like the worst mom ever. But I'm not. And neither are you. We're all just human. Big hug!

Thank you ladies for your kind words! I've calmed down more today but once Alex had his breakfast we went straight to the store. Babies R Us doesn't carry any bath decals that are temp sensitive so we bought a little octopus floating thingy that tells you if the temp is "ideal".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joanne Nicole

Burns are some of the most painful injuries you can sustain, and the pain lingers for a LONG time. If he was OK after just a a little while, then it can't have been that bad. Little ones are definitely more sensitive to hot temps, but it was probably more of a shock than anything else.

I'm happy to report that both of his feet were a pure lily white this morning with no traces of redness and definitely no blisters. DH and I heaved a big sigh of relief.

Oh hugs. It happens. I was running Drake a bath the other day and he loves holding his hands under the water when its running. The tub was filling up so I went to turn out the water and stupidly turned off the cold water before the hot so of course the hot was running when Drake was standing there with his hands under the water. He screamed and of course I turned it off right away and while he wasnt red handed I felt awful. I ran the cold water for him but he was afraid to put his hands under it again so I had to splash him. He was fine but I felt terrible and now I make sure I pay attention when Im shutting and turning on. It happens to everyone. Hugs